Gunduz's supporters stood outside the square, trying to prevent a gathering that would spark police retaliation.

"We want to protect him from any provocation," Asma, a young Turkish woman, told AFP as she tried to keep the gathering onlookers back. "He has to be alone in the middle of the square, otherwise the police will use the pretext of a gathering to clear everyone away."

Gunduz faced the Ataturk Cultural Centre from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. until policed stepped in and forced him to leave. Reuters reported 10 people were arrested when they refused to move on.

Police fired tear gas and pressurized water at a crowd to break up the gathering at the square on Saturday, AFP said. There has been a crackdown on protests since May 31, when a peaceful protest against the redevelopment of the square sparked a national demonstration against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government, AFP reported.

Erdem Gunduz began his one-man protest on Istanbul's Taksim Square Monday in Turkey, standing silently for eight hours, a stark contrast from mass violence between hundreds of demonstrators and police.